Hundreds of ultra-right demonstrators demonstrated in the streets of Paris this Saturday, May 11. The May 9 committee celebrated the 30th anniversary of the death of a nationalist in the 1990s during a banned gathering. Celtic flags, a symbol of ultranationalism, red torches, hoods and umbrellas to hide the procession and the presence of the small group GUD, the gathering did not fail to shock some passers-by.
2 mins
In France, it is a demonstration which is controversial. In the images, we can see the demonstrators all dressed in black, their faces hidden, brandishing a Celtic cross, a symbol of ultranationalism. The group advanced through the Parisian streets, red torch in hand, shouting “ revolution ! » Passersby called out to them with “ racist! “, ” fascists out! »
Their gathering in 2023 had already caused controversy, with these demonstrators, swastikas tattooed on their bodies, chanting racist songs. So this year, the prefecture banned the event. But the decision was overturned in extremis by the Paris administrative court, invoking the freedom to demonstrate.
So the march took place. Activists held large black umbrellas to hide the procession. And it’s impossible to get too close, including for journalists.
A very violent small group
“ The goal is to demonstrate force. That is to say that these are groups which are both political groups and violent groups which regularly commit attacks, sometimes very serious. It is a very radical, very violent movement which, once a year, meets to show that it can hold its own », Explains Mathieu Molard, co-editor-in-chief of the StreetPress media, specializing in the far right.
In certain cases, dissolutions can be useful, but it is not because we dissolve a political organization that we make its activists disappear. The question is: was it necessary to organize this demonstration, given that there was violence committed last year? I do not think so. That being said, I think that the freedom to demonstrate remains important. To what extent do the police monitor them and prevent them from committing violent acts within the framework of this demonstration, but also more broadly throughout the year? And that is perhaps where we have a problem. We have the impression that the political authorities reacted little or not quickly enough and took a long time to consider that there was a real problem with this. The repeated violence is often considered a bit like “fights” between activists, because they attack left-wing activists. While it can go very, very far… And we have seen it, there have been people attacked with knives, there have been people who have died.
In reaction to this ultra-right gathering, an anti-fascist village was set up in front of the Pantheon.
Also listenFar-right violence in France: “First, we have an increase in the number of murders”